The main function of kneepads has always been to protect and comfort people who use their knees or kneel for long periods of time while performing certain activities such as gardening, painting, and in particular, construction work. Workers in the construction industry often kneel or crawl on hard surfaces throughout the day. Many of the kneepads on the market today have various attachment devices, but few provide lasting comfort or protection for prolonged periods of time.
One primary complaint of kneepads on the market today is that the cushioned pad, worn on the knee, must constantly be readjusted as soon as the elastic bands or straps become loose, which causes the pad to move down to the shins. Kneepad straps constantly need adjusting and tightening, an inconvenience for a worker.
U.S. Pat. No. 926,328, issued Jun. 29, 1909 to Horath, describes a miner's kneepad which is worn with a harness comprising two side braces which extend from the outer edges of the kneepad down to an ankle and instep strap arrangement for securing the kneepad in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 554,776, issued Feb. 18, 1896 to Davis et al., discloses a kneepad with side bars that extend from the ankle to the side of the knee and are adjustably attached to the outer sides of the kneepad. The lower ends of the side bars have a harness for attaching to the wearer's foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 395,228, issued Dec. 25, 1888 to Harris, indicates a coal miner's knee shoe which comprises a cup made to fit over a person's knee while in the kneeling position and a thin shin protecting board hingedly attached to the knee cup which also holds the cup up in its place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,071, issued Sep. 20, 1988 to Richards, shows kneepads which are to be worn while a person is working on a surface in a kneeling positioning have a first section provided with a first portion to be attached to a lower leg and a knee seat to accommodate the knee cap and the upper portion of the tibia, a second section connected to the first section and having a seat for a buttock and the adjacent portion of the upper leg and a support engageable with the surface when the user is kneeling with body weight transferred to the surface by the kneepad rather than through the knee joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,565, issued Dec. 16, 1947 to Ferguson, claims a kneepad comprising a shank which is detachably securable the front of the workman's lower leg. The knee is supported in a padded annular depression formed in the top of the shank. The shank is secured to the leg by a top strap and a bottom ankle strap. The device is further provided with adjustable brackets which allow the kneeling workman to rest his foot in a natural position.
Two U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,239, issued Aug. 6, 2002 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,034 issued Oct. 28, 2003 to Worden, concern a weight distributing kneepad which includes a lower leg support adapted to closely engage a lower leg of a user and a knee cover which conforms to the shape of a knee but is physically separate therefrom. A curved portion connects the lower leg support and the knee cover. A strap is included which is adapted to engage an ankle of a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,443, issued Feb. 7, 1956 to Holder, shows a leg, knee and foot guard and support comprising a rigid elongated frame for wearing on the knee and shin. The frame is strapped onto the leg behind the knee and at the ankle and has a foot guard for supporting the foot off the ground while in a kneeling position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,762, issued Aug. 28, 1951 to Ferguson, relates to a knee and foot support which comprises a shin-worn shank having a kneepad adjustably attached thereto.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0178361, published Jul. 31, 2008 by Yoo et al., describes a protective knee covering which provides motion guidance and orthotic support for a knee. The protective knee covering is made from a layer of rigid material, such as a plastic or a composite material. A central portion of the protective knee covering covers the knee cap portion of the knee. The central portion is curved in a top to bottom direction, but is flat or substantially flat in a medial side to lateral side portion are attached to the central portion at angles. The lateral side portion is attached at a sharper angle than the medial side portion. Both of these portions cover the sides of the knee. The lateral side portion acts as an orthotic guide during bending of the knee to keep the thigh over the knee.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,512,996, issued Apr. 7, 2009 to Yoo et al., puts forth a protective knee covering which provides motion guidance and orthotic support for a knee. The protective knee covering is made from a layer of rigid material, such as a plastic or a composite material. A central portion of the protective knee covering covers the knee cap portion of the knee. The central portion is curved in a top to bottom direction, but is flat or substantially flat in a medial side to lateral side direction to provide a stable base for kneeling. A medial side portion and a lateral side portion are attached to the central portion at angles. The lateral side portion is attached at a sharper angle than the medial side portion. Both of these portions cover the sides of the knee. The lateral side portion acts as an orthotic guide during bending of the knee to keep the thigh over the knee.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,357,191, issued Apr. 15, 2008 to J. Halls et al. describes a vertically adjustable equine leg rest strapped to a human leg.
What is needed is an adjustable vertical brace extending from a shoe or boot of the wearer up to the kneepad and attached to the kneepad to prevent the kneepad from slipping down.